What Is Irony

What Is Irony
The term irony has been derived from a Greek word, which means concealing the real nature of the word or the truth behind it. There are three important types of irony - verbal irony,dramatic and situational irony. All the three tell the difference between things actually said, i.e. reality, and things misunderstood, i.e. depiction or appearance. In today’s time, the modern art isviewed to be ironic in many aspects. Consider this: An artist makes a portrait of a smiling lady. It is taken as Mona Lisa with various interpretations of the smile, even though the artist didn’t meanthe same. The depiction or the fact is misinterpreted and is compared to something that existed a long time back. This is irony. In case you wish to know more about irony and its types as well asexamples, read on.
 
Types of Irony
 
Verbal Irony
Unintended connection with the truth or depiction of a fact in some other sense, away from the truth, is verbal Irony. In verbal irony, what issaid is not what is meant. There are two kinds of verbal irony, sarcasm and equivocation. In sarcasm, the speaker means the opposite of what he/she has said. In case of equivocation, irony arises becausethe speaker says something that is true and tries to enact as if he is unaware of the fact that he is saying the truth. It is basically used while commenting on a person.
Examples:
“I can’t wait tostart writing these forty-seven reports.”
“My walk home was only twenty-three blocks.”
 

Dramatic Irony
In dramatic irony, the author, narrator or playwright reveals to the reader or theaudience some information about a character’s situation, which the character is not aware of. It can be taken as a third speaker in a group. There is another form of irony as well, which comes underdramatic irony and that is tragic irony. In this category, words and actions contradict the real situation and are taken as a fact by the spectators.
The most obvious example of this is when the young...